Motorola Solutions (NYSE:MSI) Reaches New 1-Year High on Analyst Upgrade

Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI - Get Free Report)'s stock price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Friday after JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on the stock from $400.00 to $405.00. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has an overweight rating on the stock. Motorola Solutions traded as high as $356.17 and last traded at $352.43, with a volume of 197429 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $336.24.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. Evercore ISI began coverage on shares of Motorola Solutions in a research report on Monday, March 25th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $400.00 price objective for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on shares of Motorola Solutions in a report on Friday, January 19th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $350.00 price target for the company. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Motorola Solutions from $362.00 to $372.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday. William Blair reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Motorola Solutions in a research report on Friday, February 9th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Motorola Solutions from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, February 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $351.50.

Insider Transactions at Motorola Solutions

In related news, SVP Cynthia Yazdi sold 4,744 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $334.30, for a total transaction of $1,585,919.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 8,858 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,961,229.40. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.50% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Motorola Solutions

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of MSI. Rehmann Capital Advisory Group grew its stake in Motorola Solutions by 1.0% in the 1st quarter. Rehmann Capital Advisory Group now owns 2,910 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock worth $1,033,000 after buying an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. Commerce Bank grew its stake in Motorola Solutions by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. Commerce Bank now owns 219,524 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock worth $77,927,000 after buying an additional 1,125 shares in the last quarter. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S grew its stake in Motorola Solutions by 4,208.1% in the 1st quarter. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S now owns 9,521 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock worth $3,380,000 after buying an additional 9,300 shares in the last quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division purchased a new stake in shares of Motorola Solutions in the 1st quarter valued at $2,379,000. Finally, Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Motorola Solutions by 2.8% in the 1st quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 18,209 shares of the communications equipment provider's stock valued at $6,463,000 after purchasing an additional 504 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.17% of the company's stock.

Motorola Solutions Stock Up 5.2 %

The company has a market cap of $58.75 billion, a PE ratio of 35.62, a PEG ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.91. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $342.91 and its 200-day moving average price is $323.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.37, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 1.00.

Motorola Solutions (NYSE:MSI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 8th. The communications equipment provider reported $3.90 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.63 by $0.27. The business had revenue of $2.85 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.82 billion. Motorola Solutions had a net margin of 17.12% and a return on equity of 441.65%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $3.38 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Motorola Solutions, Inc. will post 11.74 earnings per share for the current year.

Motorola Solutions Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 15th were given a dividend of $0.98 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 14th. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.11%. Motorola Solutions's payout ratio is currently 39.48%.

About Motorola Solutions

Motorola Solutions, Inc provides public safety and enterprise security solutions in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Products and Systems Integration, and Software and Services. The Products and Systems Integration segment offers a portfolio of infrastructure, devices, accessories, and video security devices and infrastructure, as well as the implementation and integration of systems, devices, software, and applications for government, public safety, and commercial customers who operate private communications networks and video security solutions, as well as manage a mobile workforce.

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